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Private jet travel for pop, rock and rap stars

4 June 2018

Private jets are the ultimate symbol of wealth and status, which is why the world’s rich and famous are willing to spend millions on state-of-the-art interiors and on-tap private jet charters. Join us for a look at some of the famous musicians who are lucky enough to travel the world in ultimate style.

WRITTEN BY

Claire Ellis

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z

In 2017, Forbes Magazine officially confirmed that Beyoncé and Jay-Z are a billion-dollar couple ($1.16 billion to be precise). But what does a world-class performer like Beyoncé buy her fellow musician-extraordinaire husband? A Bombardier Challenger 850, estimated to be worth around $40 million, of course. The personalized Challenger 850 Learjet, featuring lavish amenities like a living room, kitchen, bedroom and two bathrooms, accompanied the couple around the globe on their 2014 “On The Run” world tour, and with the second instalment of the tour approaching, we can expect to see the Grammy Award-winning duo putting their private jet to good use once more.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s private jet is also indispensable for travel with their three children, as they’re constantly journeying between their Bel Air Mansion and their $4 million private island in the Bahamas.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga singing with Tony Bennett

Music star and pop culture icon Lady Gaga shared a snap of her Boeing 757 in 2012 with the caption: “So apparently LIVE NATION gave us a 757”. It’s unclear whether Live Nation (Gaga’s ticketing and concert management firm) lent her the private jet or gave it to her to keep; but either way, the gift of one of the biggest jumbo jets on the planet is not to be shunned. The 279-seat Boeing 757 came complete with Gaga’s name embroidered on the towels and head-rests, personal flight attendants and all-important WiFi, enabling the star to share snaps on social media while she jetted from city to city on her “Born This Way” tour.

Jimmy Buffet

American musician, songwriter, actor, author and businessman Jimmy Buffett has been a commercial pilot for the past 20 years and often flies his own private jets. Buffet owns a range of planes including a now-retired Grumman Albatross seaplane, affectionately renamed Hemisphere Dancer, which flew him to concert venues. In 2009, Buffet replaced the 1998 Albatross for a newer model which he still flies today.

While Buffett’s flying career has been mostly seamless, he’s also had a few hair-raising experiences: shortly after landing Hemisphere Dancer outside Negril in 1996, Jamaican authorities mistook the aircraft for a drug-running seaplane and shot at it. Buffet escaped unscathed and the experience later inspired his aptly-titled song, Jamaica Mistaica.

Iron Maiden

Ed Force One mid-flight

In 2016, legendary rock band Iron Maiden completed the last four months of their “The Book of Souls” tour on possibly the best tour bus in history: a fully customized Boeing 747-400. Affectionately known as Ed Force One after the band’s mascot, Eddie, the 747-400 carried 22 tonnes of stage equipment on each leg of the tour, had beds on the upper deck and was flown by Iron Maiden’s lead singer and official pilot Bruce Dickinson. Discover how Air Charter Service coordinated the 747-400’s catering, flight representation, cargo and additional luxury amenities here.

Bow Wow

It seems not all celebrities travel as lavishly as they’d like us to believe. Rapper Bow Wow (formerly Lil Bow Wow) found himself at the centre of a private jet scandal in 2017, when he shared a photo on his Instagram account of a luxury car parked in front of a private jet at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Georgia with the caption: “Travel Day. NYC press run for Growing Up Hip Hop. Lets gooo” (sic). However, shortly after posting the photo, a passenger traveling in coach on a standard commercial flight spotted the rapper on board.

Fans then traced Bow Wow’s photo back to a stock picture of a private jet used by a Fort Lauderdale limousine company, based hundreds of miles away from where he was departing. Social media users around the world responded to the incident with the hashtag #bowwowchallenge, posting glamorous images alongside more realistic depictions of their lives.

To travel in VIP style like your favorite pop, rock and rap stars, charter a private jet with Air Charter Service. We’ll provide you with an array of options tailored to your requirements, ensuring your experience is as comfortable, luxurious and convenient as possible. Simply contact us for more information or to discuss private jet prices.